


Is This Real?

by songofhell



Series: Real [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Gen, a bit of implied sastiel, and there will be a sastiel sequel, spoilers for 12x02, the ending the episode needed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-21
Updated: 2016-10-21
Packaged: 2018-08-23 17:57:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8337328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/songofhell/pseuds/songofhell
Summary: Dean, Mary, and Castiel have saved Sam from the British Men of Letter, but with everything that Sam has gone through, he's having some difficulty believing that they are real.Set at the end of 12x02.





	

Sam watched as his torturer was led up the stairs, out of the cellar, then his eyes slipped to Castiel, then to his mom, and lastly his brother. He breathed out a long breath as his gaze dropped to the ground.

 “Is this real?” he muttered. Because surely, his brother and _his mom…_ this was too good to be true; it had to be another of Toni’s tricks. So, he fought against the hope that he felt, because if he let himself hope, Toni would be that much closer to breaking him when he was brought back to reality.

“Hey, Sammy, look at me.” Dean took his cheeks in his hands, both gentle and forceful as he turned his head to face him. He met his gaze, eyes wide with urgency. “I don’t know what that bitch did to you, but I swear to you, _this is real.”_

Sam held eye-contact with his brother as he moved his right hand to his left, applying pressure to the cut on his palm. It was an action that he hardly thought about anymore, but the flare of pain he felt grounded him in reality, just like it always did. That pure burst of pain was one thing that hallucinations, no matter how potent, could never get quite right. So, as he dug his thumb into the cut on his palm, he knew that there was no way that pain could be a hallucination. He huffed out a breath of surprise as tears gathered in his eyes, because _this was real._

“You good?” Dean’s hands moved down to grip his shoulders and Sam nodded, too choked up with tears to speak. “Good.” Dean pulled him into a hug, and yeah, it hurt like hell, but he didn’t care about that. It just served to reinforce the truth that his brother was here, alive, and that he would keep him safe. He wrapped his arms around his brother, clinging to his back as though if he didn’t he would fall away. “I’ve got you, Sammy.”

He glanced up from Dean’s shoulder to see their mom looking at them with a smile somewhere between joyous and heartbroken, and he thought he understood. Though how they were both there, how his mother and brother, who were both supposed to be dead, were standing there alive and well, he couldn’t even imagine.

He felt another hand come down to rest on his shoulder as he and his brother separated, and he looked up to meet Castiel’s eyes. “Sam, I am so sorry,” he spoke wretchedly. “I should have done a better job of protecting you.”

Sam shook his head. “Cas, this wasn’t your fault. There’s nothing you could have done.”

He didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t press it. “At least let me heal you.”

Sam nodded, and Castiel immediately pressed two fingers against his forehead, causing all of his physical injuries to fade away. “Thanks.” He huffed a small breath of surprise as the angel also pulled him into a hug, the corners of his lips twitching up into a small smile as he returned it.

“I am glad you are okay.” His hands lingered on Sam’s sides as he pulled away, looking from him to the others. “I suppose you three have a lot of catching up to do.”

“Yeah, I’d say so.” Sam looked over at his mom, looking away when she met his gaze as though afraid his acknowledgement would make her disappear.

Castiel nodded as he stepped away. “Call me if you need anything.”

“Yeah, you too.”

“Thanks for everything, Cas,” Dean said before the angel turned to leave. He clapped Sam on the shoulder. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”


End file.
